Darfur War is Over, U.N. Commander Says The war in Darfur, Sudan, which has lasted six years and has killed 300,000 people according to United Nation estimates, is over, according to a U.N. military commander. The fierce fighting that took place in the region earlier this decade has been replaced by smaller disputes due to the split of key rebel groups, Gen. Martin Agwai said, reports the BBC. “Banditry, localized issues, people trying to resolve issues over water and land at a local level. But real war as such, I think we are over that,” he said.  Agwai, who is due to leave his post this week, also said the region’s main problem now is political. But critics are throwing some shade on the general’s declaration. “There has been a large decline in fighting in Darfur,” Sudan analyst Gill Lusk told the BBC. “But it is the government that turns the tap on and off – they can restart the violence whenever they want.” Even though fighting has decreased, with 26 different rebel groups, it’s hard to get them to reach a peace deal with the government, said Scott Gration, the United State’s envoy to Sudan. In 2003, ethnic rebel groups attacked government forces, accusing the government of mistreating the nation’s Black Africans. Many have called the widespread violence by pro-government forces that followed genocide. The government denies being behind the attacks on its citizens, but President Omar al-Bashir is currently facing war crimes charges from an international court, the BBC reports.

Opposition Continues to Protest in Antigua The opposition Antigua Labor Party (ALP) is continued its protest against the government’s current administration with a large rally on Thursday. The group was protesting the nation’s increasing unemployment, the high fuel prices and the Antiguan government’s decision to reach out to the International Monetary Fund for help, the BBC reports. But the ruling party has said ALP is just attempting to promote “a campaign of intimidation.” The group will keep protesting until their demands are listened to, the ALP said.

Four Die in Nigerian Muslim-Christian Fighting
In Nigeria, disagreements between Muslim and Christian communities led to violent clashes, in which four were killed and 28 injured, reports the BBC. The fighting happened in the city of Bauchi, which is in the northern part of the West African nation. Mosques and churches were set ablaze during the fighting. Nigerian troops rapidly descended on the scene to control the situation. “The security agencies have been directed to deal decisively with the perpetrators of this mayhem,” Bauchi Gov. Isa Yuguda said. “The military has been drafted in now, and everything is coming back to normal,” a Bauchi resident told Reuters. Unfortunately, this area isn’t a stranger to violence of this sort. Last year, hundreds were killed in the nearby city of Jos by religious gangs. But, as a whole, Nigeria’s Muslims and Christians generally coexist peacefully. The nation’s population is split almost evenly between the two religious groups, reports the BBC.
Caribbean Bank Takes Over Stanford Bank
When American financier, Sir Allen Stanford was accused of fraud, depositors from his Antigua-based bank rushed to withdraw their funds, reports the BBC. Now, the Eastern Caribbean Central Bank (ECCB) has decided to take over one of Stanford’s banks, the Bank of Antigua, to stop its downfall. In a statement, the ECCB said it “will take exclusive custody, control and possession of the funds, assets and other property of the Bank of Antigua.” The Bank also said it would “raise or borrow money that may be required” to make sure the bank survives. Sanford, who was knighted by the Caribbean island nation, is being investigated by U.S. authorities for the way his bank, Sanford International Bank Ltd, managed $8 billion.